The moments that made me

I remember the time when I was about 5 at our country school annual Fancy Dress Event at the local hall… I went as ‘Old Mother Hubbard’… I had our puppy with me on a leash… well she did have a dog… we had to walk around in a circle and present ourselves to the judges and parents… and you see every time I stopped the puppy kept walking and then every time I walked the puppy sat down and I had to drag her along… everybody was hysterical… I don’t recall feeling embarrassed and I did win, so I figured it was OK and they were laughing with us…

I then remember in high school at a Swimming Carnival Day… my bikini top slipped down and the boys took great pleasure in making me aware of that… I though I would die from embarrassment… but you see I didn’t…

And then I got my job as hairdresser and I decided I wanted to go the city and continue my apprenticeship… I got on a bus, did an interview and a trade test and got the job… went back packed up my stuff and got on a bus back to Brisbane… I was a week in that new job when my boss said, ‘Julie, you are not a good hairdresser, you do not have the natural talent, I haven’t got the time to train you to standard so I suggest you do something else with your life’… I thought I would die from embarrassment, but I didn’t, but for a while I believed her and worked in a Newsagent… I then remembered I didn’t have to believe her story about me… started my apprenticeship all over again… I wish she could see me now.

I started my speaking business and somebody said, that it really wouldn’t be sustainable… and sequins wouldn’t work… whatever…

There was an MC at an event once… she had given a gushing introduction for the gentleman before me, but when she got to me she read my intro and finished with… ‘… and she is empowering, energising and entertaining… well we’ll see…’ Well it took a bit of inner resolve to compose myself… her attitude was a little different when I walked off to a standing ovation.

And even more recently… and there was no malice… this guy was an awesome guy… but a joke was made in the intro about my being born in Bundaberg, growing up in the bush, living and working in Goodna and Inala… and that coupled with my own occasional insecurity about the fact that my Bio is a bit short on academic qualifications… which was really the issue for me… well, I had a moment of self doubt, but then I got up on stage and owned it!

These are moments we will all have, they are not moments to break me, they are moments that make me… if I choose to see them as such… these moments add fuel to my fire and passion, they strengthen my emotional muscles of resilience, belief and courage…and they get me to here… and here is a great place to be.